800-year-old ring is full of mystery

icCoventry ^ | Jul 15 2005 | Duncan Gibbons

[nickcarraway]

AN 800-YEAR-OLD mystical ring unearthed in Warwickshire goes on public display for the first time tomorrow.

The precious gold and garnet band features a mysterious cryptic message, written in olde worlde French which has archaeology experts baffled.

It appears to say the words "Je suis une fleur" (I am a flower) and "amour" (love) but some of letters of the inscription are reversed and turned upside down.

Boffins from the British Museum believe it could be a coded token of affection between two lovers, or even a medieval spell.

People will be able to see and decide for themselves when the ring goes on indefinite display at the Warwickshire Museum, in Market Place, Warwick, from tomorrow.

Sara Wear, keeper of archaeology at the museum, said it was a great find.

She said: "We are incredibly lucky to have this rare find on display, especially as it coincides with the launch of the sixth Harry Potter book. One day we may be able to unlock its magical secrets."

She said the ring was in excellent condition as gold does not tarnish, although there is a slight kink along one of the edges.

The ring was found by an amateur treasure-hunter using a metal detector in a farmer's field in Wixford, near Alcester, back in 2002.

It was bought for the museum for a secret four-figure sum with the help of a grant from the National Art Collections Fund.

[uglybiker]

Boffins from the British Museum believe it could be a coded token of affection between two lovers, or even a medieval spell.

One ring to rule them all...

[Thinkin' Gal]

Boffins from the British Museum believe it could be a coded token of affection between two lovers, or even a medieval spell.

"In canis corpore transmuto"

[Cobra64]

Holy crow! My wife, Karen, and I have been wearing our wedding rings for 36 years.

What are we to do now with this breaking news?

[Redcloak]

Ash nazg durbatulúk
Ash nazg gimbatul
Ash nazg thrakatulûk
Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul

[fivekid]

May the Swartz be with you.........

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nick. This just missed Digest #51, so will ping the list.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops, make that Digest #52, not #51. :'o

[carumba]

Oh, alright, I'll try it on.

[T Minus Four]

I don't get the big deal. So what if some of the lettering was reversed?

And how do they know how old it is? You can't carbon-date gold.

[coconutt2000]

They can carbon date the organic material surrounding the artifact.

That said, I think this is a ploy to generate interest in the find, and therefore the dig. Implication of mysticism is bound to get a lot of attention from the "new age" wannabes.

[Manic_Episode]

My precious-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s.

[T Minus Four]

Do you mean like leaves and soil? If I drop my ring into crap that's been there for 1000 years and they find my ring 100 years later, what does that prove?

I know I'm being difficult, but really. Unless they recovered it from a grave or archeological dig, I'm skeptical, and even then it seems it would be a range of dates. And I point out the lack of explanation in the article.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Nothing special... I saw it when it was 2408 year old...

[calex59]

Do you mean like leaves and soil? If I drop my ring into crap that's been there for 1000 years and they find my ring 100 years later, what does that prove?

Sorry, but if the "crap" has been there for a 1000 years it is not on top of the ground but buried by 1000 years of dust, dirt and other debris, that is why they have to "dig" for artifacts to begin with. Time buries them. If you dropped your ring it might fall into "crap" that has been there for 10 years but even that is doubtful.

[T Minus Four]

OK (stubbornly continuing to play devil's advocate), how did some dude find it with his metal detector if it were buried 1000 years' deep?

[T Minus Four]

Furthermore, the guy found it back in 2002, so the actual precise location and surrounding organic matter must have long since become irrelevant.

Keep in mind that it's almost 3:00 my time and terribly apparent that the large supposedly-decaf expresso I had at 9:00 was most certainly full octane. I'm usually zee-ed out by 1030 or 1100. I'm really bored, so this is more a function of that that any real conviction about dating rings. :-)

[T Minus Four]

Here's a picture of it:

[R. Scott]

…but some of letters of the inscription are reversed and turned upside down.

An illiterate engraver?